Centrifuges are used throughout the world to separate fractions of blood and other fluids. Some centrifuges include energy sources for imparting ultraviolet, vibrational or other energies to the sample for various purposes, including sterilization. For example, both U.S. patent application No. US2006/0086675 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,037 teach using a centrifuge and ultraviolet light to decontaminate samples.
Co-owned, co-pending U.S. applications, U.S. Ser. No. 11/499,436 titled “Photopolymer Serum Separator” (the '436 application) and U.S. Ser. No. 11/933,839 titled “Collection Tubes Apparatus, Systems, and Methods” (the “839” application), teach polymerizing a separator substance after centrifugation, which could conceivably be accomplished with one or more of the prior art centrifuges. But it appears that no one has ever used centrifuges for that purpose, with respect to separation of blood or any other liquid.
Thus, there is still a need for methods of using centrifuges as energy sources that help in maintaining separation of different fractions in a sample.